New York City is ramping up pedestrian safety efforts during the annual influx of holiday visitors and decreased daylight hours.
Mayor de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill and other officials said Tuesday that this season is traditionally the "deadliest time for pedestrians."
Department of Transportation data shows that crashes involving pedestrians, especially seniors, increases 40 percent in the afternoon and evening hours starting in November.
The autumn upturn in crashes coincides with early sunsets during the evening rush hour. DOT data shows it lasts until about March.
They say education and enforcement efforts are working - but there's still a lot to be done.
Drivers making turns are urged to take special care.
Drivers and bicyclists who break the law will get tickets. Pedestrians should watch out, too.
O'Neill also said there will be more sobriety checkpoints.
Ongoing safety efforts include reduced speed limits; cameras around schools; better intersection lighting; and more police in problem areas. Some traffic signals have been slowed down to give pedestrians more time to cross streets.
The warning comes one day after a 66-year-old woman was hit and killed by an SUV driver while crossing First Avenue on the Upper East Side.
